Refrigeration



Jam 30, 1940- F. B. PARKER 2,188,372

' REFRIGERATION Filed Nov. r5. 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 30, 1940. F, B, PARKER 2,188,372

REFRIGERATION Filed Nov. 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2` 45 1Q 15 13 e5 if,11 1@ 13 15 1d :es 26 29, 45 f 5Z/, 7 n 9&13 15 j ,25 nf K (10 oas/16.23 A7- 120 @13 f7 .Patented Jan. 30, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l' aissvz nEFnIGEnA'rIoN Frank B. Parker, chicago, n1.

Application November 5, 1937, Serial No. 172,943

s'ciaiins. (c1. sz-91.5)

This invention relates to refrigerators and particularly to refrigerators for freight cars, trucks and other vehicles, although my improved refrigerator may be applied to other chambers in which materials are to be chilled.`

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved refrigerator which can' be readily replenished with refrigerant at any time Without disturbing the contents of the stora'ge space. v

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved refrigerator which is adapted for the economical and effective employment of solid carbon dioxide for refrigeration.

Other objects,l advantages and capabilities of the invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the doors of a refrigerator car, equipped with a pair of my improved refrigerators, the view being taken from the inside of the car;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal `sectional view therethrough, taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig.`3 is a vertical sectional View, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral I designates the side of a refrigerator7 car, which is provided with a pair ofdors II, I I. Each of these doors comprises a peripheral framework I2 and a well insulated exterior panel I3. The panel I3 may comprise an outer wall I4 of metal which extendspartly around the ends of the door, as best seen in Fig. 2, a layer I of highly effective insulating material, and an inner wooden wall or partition I6.

As best seen in Fig. 2, each door II extends only part way into the doorway I1 ofthe car. My improved refrigerator I8 is mounted partly within the space I9 within the door II, that is, the space on the inner side of the panel I3 which is surrounded by the frame I2 of the door. The refrigerator I8 also extends inwardly intovthe doorway on the inner side of the door II, but it preferably does not project inwardly beyond the doorway to any considerable extent. Consequently, the car can be loaded completely, leaving only the doorway I'I unoccupied and the doors II may be closed and locked in the usual manner and the car will be chilled for a considersealing gasket 33 of rubber or other suitable maable time by the evaporation of the refrigerant.

My improved refrigerator I8 comprises an outer tank which is vertically elongated and arranged so that it fits into the door frame I2 in the manner described,. leaving a clearance all 5 around it, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3. The tank 20 is pivotally mounted by a pivot rod 2| and pivot supports 42 carried on the lower horizontal member of the door frame. The tanks can be dismounte'd by merely'pulling out the rods 2|. 10 This pivotal mounting enables the tank 20 to be swung away from the door,-in the manner shown in` dot and dash lines in Fig. 3, to a horizontal or near horizontal position for charging the refrigerator with refrigerant. This charging is most conveniently done when the door is opened and, consequently, it can be effected at any time after the car is fully loaded.

The tank 20 comprises a base 22 and a principal wall 23 of metal. This wall 23 is preferably of channel section and is provided with flanges 24. The channel 23 is closedby a composite wall 25 which may suitably comprise two metal plates 26 which are separated by a suitable heat insulator 21. The edges of the plates 26 and the insulating material 21 overlie the flanges 24 and the tank 20 is completely assembled by securing these elements to the flanges and to the base 22.

A second tank 28, which is adapted to contain the refrigerant, is located within the `tank 20. The tank 28 is also of channel form and it is provided with flanges 29 which are secured to the innermost plate 26 by welding or other suitable means. The tank 28 extends the whole way from the base 22 to the top of the tank 20. As is best seen in Fig. 2, the inner refrigerant tank 28 is closed on its outer side by the insulated wall 25. Its other three sides are located in spaced relae tion to the corresponding three walls of the tank 20.

The intermediate space is normally occupied by carbon dioxidegas which is cold and which is a poor conductor of heat. It will readily be understood that the rate of evaporation of the refrigerant within the 4tank 28 is maintained relatively slow owing to the fact that this evaporation requires external heat which is supplied to it relatively slowly through the insulated wall and through the carbon dioxide gas space between the tanks 28 and 20. i

The upper ends of the twoitanks are closed by a cover 3|) which ls hingedfto'the outer tank 2II. A hasp 3l enables a lock 32 to be applied to prevent pilfering. The cover 30 is provided with a term so that both tanks zo and 2s may be tightly closed at their upper ends. 'I'he cover 30 is provided with a spring-pressed safety valve 34, which is located in a part of the c over above the refrigerant tank 28.

The. two tanks 20 and 28 are maintained in spaced relation by means of battens or bailles and 36. 'I'he bailles 35 are located between the two inner walls of the tanks 20 and 28 and are located in horizontal direction, as best seen in Fig. 1. The baiiles 36 are located between the end' or side Walls of the tanks 20 and 28, as is also shown in Fig. 1. The bailles 35 and 36 are located in spaced relation so that gases may be displaced upwardly out of the space between the tanks as the refrigerant vaporizes.

Near the upper end and preferably in one of the side walls an evaporation control member 31 is provided. This evaporation control member may suitably comprise a disc with a plurality of openings 38 therein. This disc can be located in a plurality of positions so as to bring any number of the openings 38 into register with any number of corresponding openings 39 formed in the wall of the tank I8. Latches 40, pivotally carried by the door I I, are adapted to be passed through the horizontal slots 43 of bars 44 welded or otherwise secured to the outer side of the wall 25, to maintain the refrigerators in their normal vertical position. The inner wall of the tank 28 is provided with a plurality of small openings 4I, these openings being preferably located below each hatten 35.

The operation is as follows. I'he doors II are opened, which renders the refrigerators completely accessible nothwithstanding that the car is lled to the doorway. 'I'he latches 40 are released and the refrigerators are swung downwardly by their pivots 2| into a substantially horizontal position which enables the tanks 28 to be filled with solid carbon dioxide. 'I'he closure 30 is then closed, the evaporation control disc 31 is set at an appropriate position, the refrigerator is swung about its pivot 2| into vertical position, and the latches are then moved to secure itin that position. The doors I I are then closed and locked in the usual manner.

Heat penetrates, relatively slowly, through the wall 25 and through the gas space between the tanks 20 and 28. Consequently, the carbon dioxide evaporates at a reasonable rate. The gas produced escapes from the tank 28 through the opening il, and, being colder and of greater density than the gas between the tanks 20 and4 28, it fiows downwardly towards the bottom of the tank, moving between the bailies 35 and 35 in its downward path. Relativelywarmer gas moves upwardly in the opposite direction and in this way a continuous counteriiow of gas is maintained between the two tanks in the normal operation 0f the refrigerator. By the time the upwardly moving gas reaches the upper end of the tank 20, it is considerably warmer than its temperature of production owing to the fact that the gas when produced is very cold, about -110 degrees F., and, consequently, it absorbs a considerable amount of heat through the channelshaped wall of the tank ltduring its upward passage. Y

This absorption of heat through the wall of the tank 20 serves to cool the air within the car and to cause convection currents in such air. The intermediate chilling effect of the solid carbon dioxide is thus tempered by causing the cold kgas produced to pass over a large heating surcarbon dioxide in highly tempered degree.

throughout the whole space. within the car.

The position of the disc 31 controls to some extent the rate of evaporation of and the chilling exercised-by the solid carbon dioxide. This disc may be so located that it offers a substantial.

impediment to the escape of gas from the tank 20. Consequently, there may be a certain increase of pressure within the tank 20 and within the tank 28 which, in turn, opposes the evaporation or sublimation ofthe solid carbon dioxide. 'Ihe safety valve 34 prevents this pressurefrom becoming excessive. The carbon dioxide which escapes through the openings 33 and 38 which are in registry, is an effective chilling agent although its temperature has been raised or tempered to an extent which prevents it from effecting any excessive local chilling of a part of the cargo. 'I'he gas which escapes through these openings moves downwardly along the tank 20 and joins the convection currents previously referred to.

Although the invention has been disclosed in connection with the specinc details of a preferred embodiment thereof, it must be understood that such details are not intended to be limitative of the invention except in so far as set forth in the accompanying claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a storage compartment including a door, a refrigerator housing pivotally mounted on the inner side of said door, and a refrigerant container within said housing and having a wall in spaced relation to the wall of the housing, closure means for said housing and container, said container having openings for the escape of refrigerant gas into the space between said walls, and said housing having an opening at its upper end for the escape of re.- frigerant gas.

2. In combination, a storage compartment lncluding a door, a refrigerator housing pivotally mounted on the inner side of said door, a refrigerant container within said housing and having a wall in spaced relation to the Wall of the housing, closure means for said housing and container, said container having openings for the escape of refrigerant gas into the space between said walls, and said housing having an opening at its upper end for the escape of refrigerant gas, and adjustable means for controlling the escape of gas from said housing.

3. A refrigerator comprising a tank comprising a channel of heat conductive material, a base closing one end of said channel, and an insulated wall closing said channel, a refrigerant container Within said tank comprising a channel within and in spaced relation to the rst said channel and secured to the insulated wall, the inner channel having an opening whereby refrigerant gas may escape from the refrigerant container into the space between the channels, and means for closing the tank, said tank having an opening for the escape of refrigerant gas.

4. A refrigerator comprising a tank comprising a channel of heat conductive material, a

base closing one end of said channel, and an insulated wall closing said channel, a refrigerant container within said tank comprising a channel within and in spaced relation to the rst said channel and secured to the insulated wall, the inner channel having an opening whereby refrigerant gas may escape from the refrigerant container into the space between the channels', baille means in spaced relation within said space, and means for closing the tank, said tank having an opening for the escape of refrigerant gas.

5. A refrigerator comprising a tank comprising a channel of heat conductive material, a base closing one end of said channel, and an insulated wall closing said channel, a refrigerant container within said tank comprising a channel within and in spaced relation to the rst said channel and secured to the insulated wall, the inner channel having a vertical series of openings whereby refrigerant gas may escape from the refrigerant container into the space between the channels, baffle means in spaced relation within said space, 'and means for closing the tank, said tank having an opening for the escape of refrigerant gas.

6. A refrigerator comprising a tank compris ing a channel of heat conductive material, a base closing one end of said channel, and an insulated wall closing said channel, a refrigerant container Within said tank comprising a channel within and in spaced relation to the rst said channel and secured to the insulated wall, the inner channel having an opening whereby refrigerant gas may escape from the refrigerant container into the space between the channels, means for closing the tank, said tank having a. plurality of openings for the escape of gas, and a perforated disc mounted on said tank whereby any desired number of said openings may be closed.

FRANK B. PARKER. 

